Choosing a physician is an important decision. This is why we have offices located across the Baton Rouge area and some with early and after-hours appointments. We're dedicated to the health of our community and the well-being of each of our patients. Welcome to our Community of Caring.

Choosing a physician is an important decision. This is why we have offices located across the Baton Rouge area and some with early and after-hours appointments. We're dedicated to the health of our community and the well-being of each of our patients. Welcome to our Community of Caring.

Baton Rouge, La. – Baton Rouge General has been recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for quality and efficiency in Knee and Hip Replacement by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.

The Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care® program is a national designation awarded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality specialty care, which expanded recently to include more robust quality measures focused on improved patient health and safety, as well as new cost-efficiency measures.

“Baton Rouge General met rigorous selection criteria set by the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care® program,” said Dr. Floyd Roberts, Chief Medical Officer, Baton Rouge General. “We are proud of our commitment to the highest quality standards and are pleased to offer patients and seniors in our community access to top notch comprehensive orthopedic and rehab services.”

“We’re very excited about this expansion of the Blue Distinction program,” said Dr. David Carmouche, Chief Medical Officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. “The expanded emphasis on both quality and cost efficiency takes Baton Rouge General’s program to a new level. As for our network facilities that have been named Centers of Blue Distinction, we are proud of their commitment. We are eager to continue working with these top providers to give our mutual customers access to quality, affordable healthcare.”

Since 2006, consumers, medical providers and employers have relied on the Blue Distinction program to identify hospitals delivering quality care in Bariatric Surgery, Cardiac Care, Complex and Rare Cancers, Knee and Hip Replacement, Spine Surgery and Transplants. The selection criteria used to evaluate facilities were developed with input from the medical community and include general quality and safety metrics plus program specific metrics.

Research confirms that the newly designated Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients, with lower rates of complications and readmissions than their peers. Blue Distinction Centers also are more than 20 percent more cost-efficient. The program provides consumers with tools to help them make better informed healthcare decisions. These results will also enable employers, working with their local Blue Plan, to tailor benefits to meet their individual quality and cost objectives.

About Baton Rouge General Medical Center

Baton Rouge General Medical Center is a full-service community hospital, with 528 licensed beds between two campuses. As the first hospital in Baton Rouge, opening its doors in 1900, Baton Rouge General has a long history of groundbreaking milestones, as well as providing the Greater Baton Rouge community with high quality healthcare for generations.

Baton Rouge General is affiliated with and also serves as a satellite campus of Tulane University School of Medicine. In addition to serving as a satellite campus for Tulane medical students in the LEAD (Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Discovery) Academy program, Baton Rouge General also offers a Family Medicine Residency Program, Internal Medicine Residency Program, Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, School of Nursing and School of Radiologic Technology. Baton Rouge General, an accredited teaching hospital since 1991, is committed to exceptional medical education and serves a diverse population that is representative of the types of patients, injuries, illnesses and healthcare needs most frequently seen by physicians in private practice. For more information, visit BRGeneral.org.

About Baton Rouge General’s Comprehensive Orthopedic Program

Baton Rouge General’s comprehensive orthopedic program offers inpatient and outpatient orthopedic services, including rehabilitation services. The General’s comprehensive orthopedic program is fully equipped with leading edge technology and a team of orthopedic surgeons, specialists, nurses and therapists who provide the full-spectrum of orthopedic services, including total hip replacement, total knee replacement and spine surgery. Baton Rouge General’s inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services treat a wide variety of orthopedic conditions to help patients heal and achieve their recovery goals. Our program also offers free educational seminars on hip and knee replacement surgery and spine surgery for patients and their families. Learn more at BRGeneral.org.

The company and its subsidiaries provide group and individual health insurance plans, life and disability insurance, group voluntary products and administrative services to more than one out of every four Louisiana residents. With headquarters in Baton Rouge and eight district offices, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana employs nearly 2,000 Louisianians who are committed to improving the lives of its customers by providing them with health guidance and affordable access to quality care.

About the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 38 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for 100 million members – one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit www.BCBS.com. We encourage you to connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube, follow us on Twitter and check out The BCBS Blog, for up-to-date information about BCBSA.

Blue Distinction® Centers met overall quality measures for patient safety and outcomes, developed with input from the medical community. Blue Distinction® Centers also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare. Individual outcomes may vary. National criteria are displayed on www.bcbs.com. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for facilities located in its own service area. To find out which services and providers (including hospital based physicians) are covered under your policy, or to learn about Local Blue Plan Criteria, contact your Local Blue Plan; and contact your provider before making an appointment to verify its current Network and Blue Distinction Centers status. Each hospital’s Cost Index is calculated separately, based on data from its Local Blue Plan. Hospitals in portions of CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in areas served by two Local Blue Plans, resulting in two Cost Index figures; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether all hospitals in these areas must meet Blue Distinction Centers national criteria for one or both Cost Index figures. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for damages, losses, or non-covered charges resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers. To find out more, contact your Local Blue Plan.